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Description

The White December 2023

My TWD story in order!!

Yet another fantastic collab, this time between myself, Dozymare and Rendou-Animated !!
Sketch and shading were done by Dozy, lines and flats were done by me and the background was done by Ren.

Please go and share the love on Dozy's and Ren's uploads!!!

RP

Zaaria - Z | Asher - A | Jakob - J

Z: Having spent weeks out on the frozen trails the warmth and luxuries that came with the train ride to the next leg of the journey was a welcome change of pace for Zaaria and her brother Krasir. However the nearing final phase of the trail did not bring Kras much comfort, in fact he was uncharacteristically tense and uneasy. Zaaria couldn't help but find her brother’s brooding both emotionally draining and boring, as such she opted to leave him to it, not that it seemed he noticed her leave anyway. She decided to take a walk through the train in search of something -ANYTHING- better to do than listen to her brother's constant worries and complaining which she couldn't help but find being wasted energy - what really was there to worry about, it was rather unlikely their father would hear of this and even if he did there wasn't much he could do about it anyway. She wandered through the train her overall demeanour being a little quieter and generally lower and more tensed than her usual self, I could do with a strong drink she thought to herself as she opted to approach the next person she saw. Casually walking over to an unknown man, barely even flashing him a glance, her expression clearly showing just how drained she was feeling at that moment.
"Excuse me, you don't happen to know where a lady could get a drink do you?" she asked in a soft tired-sounding tone. She then allowed herself to take a better look at the man before her, only to realise that there wasn't just one but two rather dashing men. It would have been impossible not to notice that they were both covered in hickeys, however, it was their friendly faces and good looks that really caught her eye. Zaaria couldn't help but start to feed off of the positive friendly energies radiating from them both, prompting her to flash them a warm welcoming smile, all thoughts of that drink having dissolved in her mind. Perhaps they could make this journey a little more interesting for her.

A: Once again, Asher found himself up close and cosy with his new favourite redhead on the train north, quietly enjoying shared silence with a scenic view to their side. It felt pretty great to be off a horse, thoroughly showered and seated on a comfortable train bench with his back warmed by Jakob’s side. He probably could have dozed off if the chime of a woman’s voice didn’t break the comfortable silence.

Kohl-rimmed eyes focused on the source of the sound. The voice came from an attractive woman, which was Ash’s first observation. His second, and most important thing to note was how she looked like she could be trouble or a lot of fun. In Asher’s experience, those two things almost always had some sort of overlap, so naturally, she had his interest.

“No bar on a train this fancy? Bloody shame,” he answered her question with a friendly grin. He’d have probably gone looking for it too, if he wasn’t quite so comfortable right where he was. His umber eyes finally peeled away from the stranger to the adjacent empty bench. He was tempted to invite her to sit down for chitchat, but it felt only fair to give the taller man a chance to decide too.

J: Jakob absentmindedly stared out of the frosted train window with a relaxed smile on his face. His usually high spirits were lifted even more by the cosy warmth of the train and the fresh post-shower feeling. He was once again blessed with Ash’s presence, which was always a pleasure, and a bit of relief in an otherwise tense time.

He was no stranger to the intensity of The White December, having competed more than once. But every year brought new challenges and experiences, and it did leave a stiffness to his muscles and unease in his gut.

He was brought out of his thoughts by voices to his right. He blinked at the new figure infront of him. A beautiful tanned skin woman with a confident grin, currently looking at him. He failed to work out what was just said, but judging by the two pairs of expectant eyes, he was probably supposed to chime into this new conversation.

“Hey there, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.” He gave a friendly smile and tilted his head to the seats. “Plenty of room here.” He hinted without hesitation, glancing at Ash to check he was ok with it.

Z: Zaaria's eyes scanned over the two men for a moment taking in as much of their appearances as she could, her eyes then being drawn back to those umber eyes as he spoke. She blinked having almost completely forgotten about her search for a drink, she couldn't help but return his friendly grin with one of her own.
"Oh, no matter..." she paused as she cast a look over her shoulder to where she'd come from before looking back at him "If I'm being honest I was just looking for something better to do than listen to my brothers yapping" she continued with a small giggle. Her eyes were drawn by the second man as he then spoke up, opting to flash a warm smile his way upon hearing his friendly greeting.
"Zaaria, and the pleasure is mine" she replied, that more typical seductive tone of hers coming through, as she fidgeted her hands together for a moment unsure if she should offer a friendly handshake or if that would seem too formal here. She glanced over at the empty bench for a moment after hearing their kind offer pondering whether or not to join these two fine men. Ultimately opting to take them up on their offer, gracefully taking a seat on the opposing bench, and glancing out the window for a moment.
"Quite the view" she stated softly with that natural seductive tone still clinging to every word as she cast a small side-eyed smirk their way.

A: Ash’s warm smile only widened when Jakob’s deep voice pitched in and greeted the woman. He nodded in agreement to his suggestion; the more the merrier as far as he was concerned.
The sultry tone on Zaaria’s tongue as she spoke didn’t fall on deaf ears. He swallowed down some caution and greeted her back. Even if his own manner of speaking came across as a little too friendly to some, he did try not to be overbearing.
“Very nice to meet you, Zaaria. I’m Ash”
Respectfully, Asher’s eyes made deliberate contact with the stranger’s eyes. Indeed, there was a nice view in every direction he could look, if he was brave enough to do so. Eventually, he realised it didn’t burn his cheeks so much to follow her gaze and look at the picturesque view she was referring to. The hills beyond the train, and not the ones south of her face.
“Quite indeed. ‘You a long way from home too?”

J: Jakob smiled at Zaaria as she spoke, sitting up politely to show interest in the conversation. He tilted his head at the tone of her voice, wondering if he was reading it properly.
"Jakob." He added with a smile after Ash introduced himself. His eyes wandered over her body before he caught himself and he followed her eyes out of the window with a crooked grin.
He quietly listened in as the conversation continued, his brain not fully booted up again after being in stand by mode.

Z: Zaaria's gaze quickly shifted back to the pair, her eyes flicking from one to the other as they introduced themselves, a warm soft smile on her lips.
"Jakob and Ash huh?... What perfectly dashing names for a pair of equally dashing men" she purred softly her eyes shifting to Jakob as she noticed his eyes start to wander over her, the grin on her face only growing, choosing not to comment but instead opting to rest her arms upon the table, slightly crossed in front of her as she leaned in just a touch. Her eyes then shifted back to Asher as he spoke.
"Well, I originally come from Lettfell but have recently taken up residence at a stable in Norway..." she paused a moment pondering his question.
"So I suppose it depends on which you would consider home, me and my brother haven't had much time to settle in fully yet, we ended up busying ourselves with events such as this one" she added as she shifted her gaze to Jakob momentarily having noticed him fall quiet.
"What about you two? What made you decide to come out here?" she asked curiously as she took the opportunity to eye the pair up biting her lip just a little as she did so, waiting patiently to hear their responses.

A: A fond peek up at Jakob’s blank expression could have made Ash giggle if he hadn’t bitten down on his lip first. Who knew someone could wear a vacant look quite so adorably?
His eyebrow raised at the bold compliment aimed at himself and the man by his side. Folk had called him a lot of things over the years, but ‘dashing’ was a new one. A touch of pink coloured his cheeks as his gaze was brought back to Zaaria, a little more shamelessly this time.
“Lettfell? Can't say I’ve heard of it, but it sounds warmer than here at least”
Asher couldn’t have even guessed where that place was. Then again, he was an engineer. Geography never was his strong suit, but her unusual accent had grabbed his attention nonetheless.
He had to think to answer her question about what he was doing here. In an effort not to stall, he went with a vague half-truth.
“Risking my neck and meeting interesting new people are passions of mine, I suppose.”
Once more, he’d look to his side, awaiting Jakob’s own response and to see if that brain of his had booted up yet.

J: Jakob listened into their replies with interest, other people’s reasoning for joining the event was definitely something he was curious about. It was a big commitment and involved putting a huge amount of trust on three different horses. Familiarity with the challenge gave him the confidence this time, but he could no longer understand why he did it the first time. “Well living in Norway certainly makes you more prepared than I am.”

“It’s tradition for me at this point.” He chuckled in answer to her question. “And a good way to get out of the Cypriot heat for a while.”

He gave Zaaria an inquiring smile while leaning in on his elbows. “How are you finding it?”

Z: Zaaria didn't miss the subtle pink hue upon Ash's cheeks, a toothy smile crept onto her face, and she couldn't help but wonder if she made him a little nervous or if his blushing was simply from her compliment. Her eyes locked with Ash's as he spoke, tilting her head ever so slightly as she listened intently.

"I take it you're far from home too?" she replied having noted his own accent and finding it intriguing, though both these men had very interesting accents in her opinion which only made her want to hear more from them. As Ash answered her question she couldn't help but flash him a slightly wider smile.

"Well, life would be rather dull if there were no options for taking a few risks every now and then" she responded with a small giggle, her eyes flicking between the pair "Meeting interesting people along the way sure is an added bonus" she added flashing a flirtatious look their way. Her eyes shifted to Jakob as he added his response to her question.

"You've taken part a few times then?" she inquired curiously, she did not miss his change of posture as he presented her with a question of his own. Though she did not find his question easy to answer, the journey so far had been both exciting and enjoyable but there had definitely been moments of struggle for her from lack of sleep due to troubled dreams to finding herself remembering painful memories from the past.

"Well..." she paused for a moment glancing out of the window, the smile that had been on her face moments before having dropped "It's been interesting so far..." she continued before quickly looking back at them both with a slightly more forced smile on her face "But, I must say I'm looking forward to getting a good nights sleep that isn't in a freezing cold tent" she added with a more genuine grin.

A: Asher wasn’t too surprised that Jakob had partaken in the trip more than once. He made a mental note of the fact, for the next time he needed a reason to participate in this ordeal of an event. As the taller man shifted his weight forward, Ash rearranged himself a little too. As casually as he could, leaning more flush on Jakob’s side.

He would tell himself he was just cold, but the intense smiles and flirtatious gazes Zaaria had flashed in his direction were indeed giving him nervous butterflies. Particularly at the mention of a ‘cold tent’. It seemed the man had acquired some Pavlovian response to that concept, making him bite his lip to hide a smirk.

“You and me both”

As he squirmed himself comfy, something sharp dug into his hip. He frowned as he pawed around for what had been stabbing at him and pulled out a box wedged between the cushions of the seat. He waited for Jakob to respond to Zaaria before placing the box on the table and curiously flipping the lid. The contents were clear as day - a pristine poker set.

How convenient for fate to provide entertainment and a distraction for the long evening ahead.

J: Jakob watched Zaaria’s change in body language as she thought about his question, briefly wondering what could have caused such a response. However, her words contradicted the drop in her expression, quickly hidden with a smile. Further ponderings of her behaviour were interrupted by the feel of Ash shifting around at his side, derailing his train of thought. So much so he almost forgot to answer her question in return.

“Yes, although my first go of it was not successful, its a miracle I’m still around to try again to be honest.” He made a face as he recalled his Obertaurer Snowfire running off without him and not being retrieved for several hours. “ Although, last time was much easier.” He wasnt the first to cross the line, but in a group of people who crossed second, which was definitely an achievement. “I’m not very competitive so events like these are more my style than usual disciplines.”

He smiled, her comment about cold tent triggering a quirk of his brow. He glanced at Asher again as he placed a box on the table. Where on earth did that come from? His brows furrowed as he wondered if Ash had had that the whole time.

Z: Zaaria listened intently as Jakob spoke but couldn’t help but notice Asher fidgeting from the corner of her eye, a small one-sided smirk creeping onto her lips as she raised an eyebrow curiously what is he up to she thought to herself as she tried to fix her gaze back at Jakob so as to not appear uninterested.

“I’m surprised you chose to return if your first attempt wasn’t an enjoyable experience” She had to admit she admired his courage to take on the trail again after a rough first impression. From the sound of it, she and her brother had a pretty calm first run of the trail all things considered. She couldn’t help but notice both of their reactions to her mention of a cold tent and couldn’t help but wonder what had encouraged such reactions was there some inside joke she was unaware of she wondered. Her gaze flicked back to Asher as he pulled out a mystery box and placed it on the table, she couldn’t help but be curious as to its contents or where he’d gotten it from.

A: Ash tried to pay attention to the conversation Jakob and Zaaria were having, with limited success. Multitasking wasn’t exactly his strong suit. From what he did gather about Jakob’s prior attempts at the event, he could only admire the man even more.

A soft blush dusted his cheeks as Asher felt eyes on him. He didn’t mean to be disruptive to their chitchat, and remained quiet until a pause.

“Um.. I think someone left this on the chair. I was sitting on it.” He explained, simply. He pulled a pack of cards from the box, followed by some antique-looking poker chips.

“I think it’s a poker set. Who’s up for a game?” Ash shot a friendly smile at both Zaaria and Jakob. He could barely remember the rules himself, but he knew that was probably half the fun.

J: “Me too.” Jakob answered simply with a chuckle, it did take a lot of self-encouragement to sign up for the event a second time.

He looked at Ash as he spoke then down at the mystery box.

“Uhhhh.” An unsure noise spilled dumbly from his mouth as he tried to recall how the game worked. “I’m up for it.” He smiled sheepishly, wondering if he should mention he didn't really remember how to play. Maybe something would jog his memory…

He recalled not being good at it but winning wasn't something he particularly cared about.

Z: Zaaria glanced at the cards and poker chips as Ash pulled them from the box, her eyes shifting to meet his as he spoke a small smirk pulled at her lips at his offer for a game of poker. Though it had been a while since the last time she played she still recalled the rules as if it had been engraved on the back of her hand, it always reminded her of something her father used to preach during her swordplay training sessions ‘always try to anticipate your opponent's next move, observe how they move, how they act, the look on their face, something is bound to give it away the more you observe the easier it is to spot and exploit’ poker had a somewhat similar concept after all you are trying to figure out if your opponents actually have a good hand or if they are bluffing to try and scare you out of the next round, while also occasionally making bluffs yourself for the same reasons.

“Sounds a little risky…” she stated that natural seductive tone on her tongue, pausing momentarily as she brought her hand up to her face, a finger placed upon her lower lip as if she were pondering the idea for a moment before flashing them a playful look “good thing I’m not afraid to take a few risks” she added as she lowered her hand back to the table, adjusting her posture slightly. “What shall be our wager?” she asked with that same natural sultry tone dripping from her words like a deadly poison as she flashed them a soft smile. She wasn’t all too fussed about a wager in honesty simply playing the game was entertainment enough, but she was curious to hear what they may suggest.

A: Asher looked thoroughly pleased that his two companions that day seemed interested in a card game to pass the time. Like Jakob, winning wasn’t a priority for him. Unlike Zaaria, his only strategy was to have fun, relax, and enjoy not being on horseback for a while.
He huffed and swung his legs over the side of the bench. He never could sit straight when his brain was slightly engaged, which was prompted by Zaaria’s question. Indeed, what on earth could he offer as a wager? He had barely brought enough cash for drinks, and for once in his life, he decided against throwing his dignity on the table.
“Umm.. gonna be honest, pretty sure I’ll lose. So.. whoever wins, I’ll write a song about them. How’s that?”
The lithe man smiled, dishing out the cards and picking up his own with a dramatic sigh. A horrific hand, as predicted.

J: Jakob watched Zaaria intently as she spoke, taking note of her mannerisms and the intriguing tone to her voice. His brow twitched at the mention of the word wager, wondering what her offer could possibly be.

Ash’s suggestion brought Jakob’s attention back onto him again, tilting his head in curiosity. Being as musically ungifted and inarticulate as Jakob was the idea of just coming up with a song on the spot was foreign to him.

“Uh, I certainly don't have anything that interesting to offer as a wager.” He snickered, leaning back and looking down at his clothes like that was magically going to give him an idea. “Perhaps an IOU?” He smiled with a raised brow, knowing one of them had already received such a token. “Then it's up to you to make it worth something.” He added, knowing full well it made it obvious he just couldn't be bothered to think something up. “...Or this pack of chewing gum.” He added as he brought it out of his jeans pocket.

He hadn't yet looked at his cards, but it's not like he really knew what he was looking at anyway…they seemed ok? Well, even perfect cards wouldn't result in someone winning if they didn't actually know how to play well.

Z: Zaaria's gaze focused on Ash as he proposed his offer, an intrigued look crossing her face at his wager. Her eyes shifted back to Jakob curious as to what he'd throw in the ring, she listened intently as he spoke raising a brow in interest at his first suggestion only for her to let out a small laugh which she tried to cover with her hand at his suggestion for the pack of chewing gum.

"That must be some very exquisite chewing gum" she teased playfully as she composed herself, allowing her hand to rest on the table once again. "I suppose it's my turn to throw something down" she added softly as she glanced off into space for a moment tapping her nails on the table lightly as she pondered ideas in her head for a moment. Having not yet glanced at her own cards she did not yet know how she faired in this first round, but that did not deter her from wanting to throw down as good of a wager as she could think of in the moment, an idea soon coming to her.

"Hm, alright." she started breaking her momentary silence "I shall offer the winner a night out on me, said winner may choose where we go and what we do, all drinks on me" she purred softly as her eyes shifted between the pair, hoping her offer would pique their interest. Only after having stated her wager did she opt to take a glance at her cards, finding she had a fair set of cards in hand, though she kept her expression in a neutral soft smile as she returned her gaze back towards the pair.

A: Ash’s freckles drowned in a rosy blush as Jakob placed the stick of gum or an IOU up for grabs. He had only just redeemed an IOU from the redhead earlier that day, and to him that was worth its weight in gold. He peeked back at the tall man with wide brown eyes, and slowly back at his cards with a pout.
Such luck didn’t seem to await him this time.
Zaaria’s offer was of course, just as intriguing. A night out with a stranger was one of the Australian’s favourite activities. And faced with a woman so mysterious, it could be quite fun, if he wasn’t so unfortunate.
“High stakes? Winner takes all? Should be fun”
He slid some chips forward and cosied his back up against the large ginger; putting no effort at all in hiding his hand.

J: Hmm, a wager that involved meeting one of them again at a later date, sounds like she’d deemed them worthy of getting to know at least. “Mmm free drinks and get to spend time with a gorgeous lady, sounds like a prize indeed.” He commented with a lopsided grin. Turning on the charm was not going to get him anywhere, however, and he relaxed into Ash’s weight against him as he looked at his cards again.

After a few moments of consideration, he smirked. “Someone is definitely going to have to remind me how this works.” He stated, trying to force himself to remember was more effort than it was worth. Someone has to deal more cards right? Definitely should not be him. He decided to keep his mouth shut as much as possible so he wasn't constantly flaunting his ignorance.

Z: Zaaria noticed the sheepish look and the blushing on Ash's face from Jakob's wager and couldn't help but be curious by it, though she assumed it wouldn't be a reaction to the offer of gum -surely not- however what could have possibly caused such a reaction to the offer of an IOU she wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted as her eyes fixed on Ash as she listened to him as he spoke watching him as he placed some poker chips forward, she followed suit and placed some chips forward also.

Her gaze shifted back to Jakob as she heard him begin to speak, her eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise at his compliment having not expected it, she leaned back in her seat a little as her lips curled into a flirty smile accompanied by a bright pair of bedroom eyes with a quick flash of her lashes before she swiftly shifted her gaze back to her own cards very much keeping her head in the game at hand. Her eyes only shifted back to Jakob as he requested a reminder of how to play the game, a soft smile upon her lips as she opted to give him a brief overview of how the game is played.

A: Asher was thankful of Zaaria’s refreshment of the rules. He had a vague idea of how to play the game, but at least now he didn’t have to wing it quite so much. It wasn’t his turn yet again, but he already knew he’d probably have to fold his clutch of low mixed cards.
“Shoulda opted for snap.”
He snorted and casually rested his hand on the smooth wooden table. Subtly and silently he tapped a rhythm as if there were invisible keys. As fond as he was of the cuddly redhead next to him, his own bet was on Zaaria winning, considering her apparent confidence and knowledge of the rules. He figured he might as well get a head start on that song.
J: Despite the detailed refresher of the rules by Zaaria, Jakob found himself a little lost...pretty much straight away. He tried his best to appear like he had any idea what was going on. However, his attention span when confused was shorter than normal, and that was saying something. There were a few times where he was brought out of a daydream when he realised he was being stared at expectantly.

The tiny amount of chips he had was probably making his difficulty obvious, but he had gotten lucky a few times, and that made up for it. No one will ever know…

Z: Zaaria's gaze shifted to Asher as she heard him speak, she couldn't help but giggle at his comment. She noticed his subtle finger tapping but didn't allow her eyes to linger long before fixing her gaze back to the game at hand.

She had quickly realised from their body language and somewhat vacant expressions that her opponents in this game were perhaps a little lost or unsure of how to play, knowing that gave her the confidence to relax her playing style as well as her posture as some tension in her shoulders eased up slightly. However, she still made sure to keep her cards well hidden.

She adjusted herself slightly trying to get a little more comfortable in her seat and in doing so her foot bumped into something under the table, her eyes glanced up at the gentlemen across from her hoping that it had been the table leg she'd bumped and not one of Jakob’s legs having already noted the fact that Asher’s legs were up.

A: The Australian sighed, and lightly tossed down his cards in defeat. They had sucked with every hand he played, and it was about time he gave up trying to change that. He had his eyes on Zaaria for most of the game, admiring how fluently she played, charmed like a snake by her movements and eyes alike. Perhaps she had magically sucked the luck straight from him, he thought.
“I think I’ll fold, before these cards embarrass me again” he explained with a laugh.
He then turned to Jakob, unaware of the under-table activities between him and Zaaria. He pecked a firm kiss against his bicep to try and grapple the ginger daydreamer back down to earth and spoke softly,
“Your turn, handsome. Got an ace up your sleeve?”

J: Jakob chewed on the inside of his lip as he looked down at his cards. Nothing particularly strong, he didn't think…. So he should probably fold, right? But maybe everyone else had worse match ups. He was supposed to guess if that was the case right…

He was distracted from any further pondering by a leg bumping his own. A sharp jolt went up his spine and he did his best to keep his reaction internal. He looked at Zaaria with a slight quirk of his brow, wondering if that was on purpose. It didn't take long for the action to resurface memories of the last time that happened to him, and what followed after. He looked away quickly with hot cheeks and bit down on his tongue.

Don't you dare, brain, behave yourself. Count to ten. Don't get distracted. Was this some kind of poker distraction tactic?

He pointedly stared back down at his cards, determined to pay attention. Ash’s gentle touch and soft words brought him back into the moment.

Huh? Aces? “Don’t have any of those…” He commented absentmindedly, then processed the conversation further. “Wait, what?” He looked at the other man, realising his mistake. A few moments later he noticed he’d dropped his hand and left his cards in full view.

He threw them down on the table. “...I fold.”
[more story to come!!]

Asher belongs to Dozymare
Jakob belongs to Rendou-Animated
Zaaria belongs to Me

Description

The White December 2023

My TWD story in order!!

Yet another fantastic collab, this time between myself, Dozymare and Rendou-Animated !!
Sketch and shading were done by Dozy, lines and flats were done by me and the background was done by Ren.

Please go and share the love on Dozy's and Ren's uploads!!!

RP

Zaaria - Z | Asher - A | Jakob - J

Z: Having spent weeks out on the frozen trails the warmth and luxuries that came with the train ride to the next leg of the journey was a welcome change of pace for Zaaria and her brother Krasir. However the nearing final phase of the trail did not bring Kras much comfort, in fact he was uncharacteristically tense and uneasy. Zaaria couldn't help but find her brother’s brooding both emotionally draining and boring, as such she opted to leave him to it, not that it seemed he noticed her leave anyway. She decided to take a walk through the train in search of something -ANYTHING- better to do than listen to her brother's constant worries and complaining which she couldn't help but find being wasted energy - what really was there to worry about, it was rather unlikely their father would hear of this and even if he did there wasn't much he could do about it anyway. She wandered through the train her overall demeanour being a little quieter and generally lower and more tensed than her usual self, I could do with a strong drink she thought to herself as she opted to approach the next person she saw. Casually walking over to an unknown man, barely even flashing him a glance, her expression clearly showing just how drained she was feeling at that moment.
"Excuse me, you don't happen to know where a lady could get a drink do you?" she asked in a soft tired-sounding tone. She then allowed herself to take a better look at the man before her, only to realise that there wasn't just one but two rather dashing men. It would have been impossible not to notice that they were both covered in hickeys, however, it was their friendly faces and good looks that really caught her eye. Zaaria couldn't help but start to feed off of the positive friendly energies radiating from them both, prompting her to flash them a warm welcoming smile, all thoughts of that drink having dissolved in her mind. Perhaps they could make this journey a little more interesting for her.

A: Once again, Asher found himself up close and cosy with his new favourite redhead on the train north, quietly enjoying shared silence with a scenic view to their side. It felt pretty great to be off a horse, thoroughly showered and seated on a comfortable train bench with his back warmed by Jakob’s side. He probably could have dozed off if the chime of a woman’s voice didn’t break the comfortable silence.

Kohl-rimmed eyes focused on the source of the sound. The voice came from an attractive woman, which was Ash’s first observation. His second, and most important thing to note was how she looked like she could be trouble or a lot of fun. In Asher’s experience, those two things almost always had some sort of overlap, so naturally, she had his interest.

“No bar on a train this fancy? Bloody shame,” he answered her question with a friendly grin. He’d have probably gone looking for it too, if he wasn’t quite so comfortable right where he was. His umber eyes finally peeled away from the stranger to the adjacent empty bench. He was tempted to invite her to sit down for chitchat, but it felt only fair to give the taller man a chance to decide too.

J: Jakob absentmindedly stared out of the frosted train window with a relaxed smile on his face. His usually high spirits were lifted even more by the cosy warmth of the train and the fresh post-shower feeling. He was once again blessed with Ash’s presence, which was always a pleasure, and a bit of relief in an otherwise tense time.

He was no stranger to the intensity of The White December, having competed more than once. But every year brought new challenges and experiences, and it did leave a stiffness to his muscles and unease in his gut.

He was brought out of his thoughts by voices to his right. He blinked at the new figure infront of him. A beautiful tanned skin woman with a confident grin, currently looking at him. He failed to work out what was just said, but judging by the two pairs of expectant eyes, he was probably supposed to chime into this new conversation.

“Hey there, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.” He gave a friendly smile and tilted his head to the seats. “Plenty of room here.” He hinted without hesitation, glancing at Ash to check he was ok with it.

Z: Zaaria's eyes scanned over the two men for a moment taking in as much of their appearances as she could, her eyes then being drawn back to those umber eyes as he spoke. She blinked having almost completely forgotten about her search for a drink, she couldn't help but return his friendly grin with one of her own.
"Oh, no matter..." she paused as she cast a look over her shoulder to where she'd come from before looking back at him "If I'm being honest I was just looking for something better to do than listen to my brothers yapping" she continued with a small giggle. Her eyes were drawn by the second man as he then spoke up, opting to flash a warm smile his way upon hearing his friendly greeting.
"Zaaria, and the pleasure is mine" she replied, that more typical seductive tone of hers coming through, as she fidgeted her hands together for a moment unsure if she should offer a friendly handshake or if that would seem too formal here. She glanced over at the empty bench for a moment after hearing their kind offer pondering whether or not to join these two fine men. Ultimately opting to take them up on their offer, gracefully taking a seat on the opposing bench, and glancing out the window for a moment.
"Quite the view" she stated softly with that natural seductive tone still clinging to every word as she cast a small side-eyed smirk their way.

A: Ash’s warm smile only widened when Jakob’s deep voice pitched in and greeted the woman. He nodded in agreement to his suggestion; the more the merrier as far as he was concerned.
The sultry tone on Zaaria’s tongue as she spoke didn’t fall on deaf ears. He swallowed down some caution and greeted her back. Even if his own manner of speaking came across as a little too friendly to some, he did try not to be overbearing.
“Very nice to meet you, Zaaria. I’m Ash”
Respectfully, Asher’s eyes made deliberate contact with the stranger’s eyes. Indeed, there was a nice view in every direction he could look, if he was brave enough to do so. Eventually, he realised it didn’t burn his cheeks so much to follow her gaze and look at the picturesque view she was referring to. The hills beyond the train, and not the ones south of her face.
“Quite indeed. ‘You a long way from home too?”

J: Jakob smiled at Zaaria as she spoke, sitting up politely to show interest in the conversation. He tilted his head at the tone of her voice, wondering if he was reading it properly.
"Jakob." He added with a smile after Ash introduced himself. His eyes wandered over her body before he caught himself and he followed her eyes out of the window with a crooked grin.
He quietly listened in as the conversation continued, his brain not fully booted up again after being in stand by mode.

Z: Zaaria's gaze quickly shifted back to the pair, her eyes flicking from one to the other as they introduced themselves, a warm soft smile on her lips.
"Jakob and Ash huh?... What perfectly dashing names for a pair of equally dashing men" she purred softly her eyes shifting to Jakob as she noticed his eyes start to wander over her, the grin on her face only growing, choosing not to comment but instead opting to rest her arms upon the table, slightly crossed in front of her as she leaned in just a touch. Her eyes then shifted back to Asher as he spoke.
"Well, I originally come from Lettfell but have recently taken up residence at a stable in Norway..." she paused a moment pondering his question.
"So I suppose it depends on which you would consider home, me and my brother haven't had much time to settle in fully yet, we ended up busying ourselves with events such as this one" she added as she shifted her gaze to Jakob momentarily having noticed him fall quiet.
"What about you two? What made you decide to come out here?" she asked curiously as she took the opportunity to eye the pair up biting her lip just a little as she did so, waiting patiently to hear their responses.

A: A fond peek up at Jakob’s blank expression could have made Ash giggle if he hadn’t bitten down on his lip first. Who knew someone could wear a vacant look quite so adorably?
His eyebrow raised at the bold compliment aimed at himself and the man by his side. Folk had called him a lot of things over the years, but ‘dashing’ was a new one. A touch of pink coloured his cheeks as his gaze was brought back to Zaaria, a little more shamelessly this time.
“Lettfell? Can't say I’ve heard of it, but it sounds warmer than here at least”
Asher couldn’t have even guessed where that place was. Then again, he was an engineer. Geography never was his strong suit, but her unusual accent had grabbed his attention nonetheless.
He had to think to answer her question about what he was doing here. In an effort not to stall, he went with a vague half-truth.
“Risking my neck and meeting interesting new people are passions of mine, I suppose.”
Once more, he’d look to his side, awaiting Jakob’s own response and to see if that brain of his had booted up yet.

J: Jakob listened into their replies with interest, other people’s reasoning for joining the event was definitely something he was curious about. It was a big commitment and involved putting a huge amount of trust on three different horses. Familiarity with the challenge gave him the confidence this time, but he could no longer understand why he did it the first time. “Well living in Norway certainly makes you more prepared than I am.”

“It’s tradition for me at this point.” He chuckled in answer to her question. “And a good way to get out of the Cypriot heat for a while.”

He gave Zaaria an inquiring smile while leaning in on his elbows. “How are you finding it?”

Z: Zaaria didn't miss the subtle pink hue upon Ash's cheeks, a toothy smile crept onto her face, and she couldn't help but wonder if she made him a little nervous or if his blushing was simply from her compliment. Her eyes locked with Ash's as he spoke, tilting her head ever so slightly as she listened intently.

"I take it you're far from home too?" she replied having noted his own accent and finding it intriguing, though both these men had very interesting accents in her opinion which only made her want to hear more from them. As Ash answered her question she couldn't help but flash him a slightly wider smile.

"Well, life would be rather dull if there were no options for taking a few risks every now and then" she responded with a small giggle, her eyes flicking between the pair "Meeting interesting people along the way sure is an added bonus" she added flashing a flirtatious look their way. Her eyes shifted to Jakob as he added his response to her question.

"You've taken part a few times then?" she inquired curiously, she did not miss his change of posture as he presented her with a question of his own. Though she did not find his question easy to answer, the journey so far had been both exciting and enjoyable but there had definitely been moments of struggle for her from lack of sleep due to troubled dreams to finding herself remembering painful memories from the past.

"Well..." she paused for a moment glancing out of the window, the smile that had been on her face moments before having dropped "It's been interesting so far..." she continued before quickly looking back at them both with a slightly more forced smile on her face "But, I must say I'm looking forward to getting a good nights sleep that isn't in a freezing cold tent" she added with a more genuine grin.

A: Asher wasn’t too surprised that Jakob had partaken in the trip more than once. He made a mental note of the fact, for the next time he needed a reason to participate in this ordeal of an event. As the taller man shifted his weight forward, Ash rearranged himself a little too. As casually as he could, leaning more flush on Jakob’s side.

He would tell himself he was just cold, but the intense smiles and flirtatious gazes Zaaria had flashed in his direction were indeed giving him nervous butterflies. Particularly at the mention of a ‘cold tent’. It seemed the man had acquired some Pavlovian response to that concept, making him bite his lip to hide a smirk.

“You and me both”

As he squirmed himself comfy, something sharp dug into his hip. He frowned as he pawed around for what had been stabbing at him and pulled out a box wedged between the cushions of the seat. He waited for Jakob to respond to Zaaria before placing the box on the table and curiously flipping the lid. The contents were clear as day - a pristine poker set.

How convenient for fate to provide entertainment and a distraction for the long evening ahead.

J: Jakob watched Zaaria’s change in body language as she thought about his question, briefly wondering what could have caused such a response. However, her words contradicted the drop in her expression, quickly hidden with a smile. Further ponderings of her behaviour were interrupted by the feel of Ash shifting around at his side, derailing his train of thought. So much so he almost forgot to answer her question in return.

“Yes, although my first go of it was not successful, its a miracle I’m still around to try again to be honest.” He made a face as he recalled his Obertaurer Snowfire running off without him and not being retrieved for several hours. “ Although, last time was much easier.” He wasnt the first to cross the line, but in a group of people who crossed second, which was definitely an achievement. “I’m not very competitive so events like these are more my style than usual disciplines.”

He smiled, her comment about cold tent triggering a quirk of his brow. He glanced at Asher again as he placed a box on the table. Where on earth did that come from? His brows furrowed as he wondered if Ash had had that the whole time.

Z: Zaaria listened intently as Jakob spoke but couldn’t help but notice Asher fidgeting from the corner of her eye, a small one-sided smirk creeping onto her lips as she raised an eyebrow curiously what is he up to she thought to herself as she tried to fix her gaze back at Jakob so as to not appear uninterested.

“I’m surprised you chose to return if your first attempt wasn’t an enjoyable experience” She had to admit she admired his courage to take on the trail again after a rough first impression. From the sound of it, she and her brother had a pretty calm first run of the trail all things considered. She couldn’t help but notice both of their reactions to her mention of a cold tent and couldn’t help but wonder what had encouraged such reactions was there some inside joke she was unaware of she wondered. Her gaze flicked back to Asher as he pulled out a mystery box and placed it on the table, she couldn’t help but be curious as to its contents or where he’d gotten it from.

A: Ash tried to pay attention to the conversation Jakob and Zaaria were having, with limited success. Multitasking wasn’t exactly his strong suit. From what he did gather about Jakob’s prior attempts at the event, he could only admire the man even more.

A soft blush dusted his cheeks as Asher felt eyes on him. He didn’t mean to be disruptive to their chitchat, and remained quiet until a pause.

“Um.. I think someone left this on the chair. I was sitting on it.” He explained, simply. He pulled a pack of cards from the box, followed by some antique-looking poker chips.

“I think it’s a poker set. Who’s up for a game?” Ash shot a friendly smile at both Zaaria and Jakob. He could barely remember the rules himself, but he knew that was probably half the fun.

J: “Me too.” Jakob answered simply with a chuckle, it did take a lot of self-encouragement to sign up for the event a second time.

He looked at Ash as he spoke then down at the mystery box.

“Uhhhh.” An unsure noise spilled dumbly from his mouth as he tried to recall how the game worked. “I’m up for it.” He smiled sheepishly, wondering if he should mention he didn't really remember how to play. Maybe something would jog his memory…

He recalled not being good at it but winning wasn't something he particularly cared about.

Z: Zaaria glanced at the cards and poker chips as Ash pulled them from the box, her eyes shifting to meet his as he spoke a small smirk pulled at her lips at his offer for a game of poker. Though it had been a while since the last time she played she still recalled the rules as if it had been engraved on the back of her hand, it always reminded her of something her father used to preach during her swordplay training sessions ‘always try to anticipate your opponent's next move, observe how they move, how they act, the look on their face, something is bound to give it away the more you observe the easier it is to spot and exploit’ poker had a somewhat similar concept after all you are trying to figure out if your opponents actually have a good hand or if they are bluffing to try and scare you out of the next round, while also occasionally making bluffs yourself for the same reasons.

“Sounds a little risky…” she stated that natural seductive tone on her tongue, pausing momentarily as she brought her hand up to her face, a finger placed upon her lower lip as if she were pondering the idea for a moment before flashing them a playful look “good thing I’m not afraid to take a few risks” she added as she lowered her hand back to the table, adjusting her posture slightly. “What shall be our wager?” she asked with that same natural sultry tone dripping from her words like a deadly poison as she flashed them a soft smile. She wasn’t all too fussed about a wager in honesty simply playing the game was entertainment enough, but she was curious to hear what they may suggest.

A: Asher looked thoroughly pleased that his two companions that day seemed interested in a card game to pass the time. Like Jakob, winning wasn’t a priority for him. Unlike Zaaria, his only strategy was to have fun, relax, and enjoy not being on horseback for a while.
He huffed and swung his legs over the side of the bench. He never could sit straight when his brain was slightly engaged, which was prompted by Zaaria’s question. Indeed, what on earth could he offer as a wager? He had barely brought enough cash for drinks, and for once in his life, he decided against throwing his dignity on the table.
“Umm.. gonna be honest, pretty sure I’ll lose. So.. whoever wins, I’ll write a song about them. How’s that?”
The lithe man smiled, dishing out the cards and picking up his own with a dramatic sigh. A horrific hand, as predicted.

J: Jakob watched Zaaria intently as she spoke, taking note of her mannerisms and the intriguing tone to her voice. His brow twitched at the mention of the word wager, wondering what her offer could possibly be.

Ash’s suggestion brought Jakob’s attention back onto him again, tilting his head in curiosity. Being as musically ungifted and inarticulate as Jakob was the idea of just coming up with a song on the spot was foreign to him.

“Uh, I certainly don't have anything that interesting to offer as a wager.” He snickered, leaning back and looking down at his clothes like that was magically going to give him an idea. “Perhaps an IOU?” He smiled with a raised brow, knowing one of them had already received such a token. “Then it's up to you to make it worth something.” He added, knowing full well it made it obvious he just couldn't be bothered to think something up. “...Or this pack of chewing gum.” He added as he brought it out of his jeans pocket.

He hadn't yet looked at his cards, but it's not like he really knew what he was looking at anyway…they seemed ok? Well, even perfect cards wouldn't result in someone winning if they didn't actually know how to play well.

Z: Zaaria's gaze focused on Ash as he proposed his offer, an intrigued look crossing her face at his wager. Her eyes shifted back to Jakob curious as to what he'd throw in the ring, she listened intently as he spoke raising a brow in interest at his first suggestion only for her to let out a small laugh which she tried to cover with her hand at his suggestion for the pack of chewing gum.

"That must be some very exquisite chewing gum" she teased playfully as she composed herself, allowing her hand to rest on the table once again. "I suppose it's my turn to throw something down" she added softly as she glanced off into space for a moment tapping her nails on the table lightly as she pondered ideas in her head for a moment. Having not yet glanced at her own cards she did not yet know how she faired in this first round, but that did not deter her from wanting to throw down as good of a wager as she could think of in the moment, an idea soon coming to her.

"Hm, alright." she started breaking her momentary silence "I shall offer the winner a night out on me, said winner may choose where we go and what we do, all drinks on me" she purred softly as her eyes shifted between the pair, hoping her offer would pique their interest. Only after having stated her wager did she opt to take a glance at her cards, finding she had a fair set of cards in hand, though she kept her expression in a neutral soft smile as she returned her gaze back towards the pair.

A: Ash’s freckles drowned in a rosy blush as Jakob placed the stick of gum or an IOU up for grabs. He had only just redeemed an IOU from the redhead earlier that day, and to him that was worth its weight in gold. He peeked back at the tall man with wide brown eyes, and slowly back at his cards with a pout.
Such luck didn’t seem to await him this time.
Zaaria’s offer was of course, just as intriguing. A night out with a stranger was one of the Australian’s favourite activities. And faced with a woman so mysterious, it could be quite fun, if he wasn’t so unfortunate.
“High stakes? Winner takes all? Should be fun”
He slid some chips forward and cosied his back up against the large ginger; putting no effort at all in hiding his hand.

J: Hmm, a wager that involved meeting one of them again at a later date, sounds like she’d deemed them worthy of getting to know at least. “Mmm free drinks and get to spend time with a gorgeous lady, sounds like a prize indeed.” He commented with a lopsided grin. Turning on the charm was not going to get him anywhere, however, and he relaxed into Ash’s weight against him as he looked at his cards again.

After a few moments of consideration, he smirked. “Someone is definitely going to have to remind me how this works.” He stated, trying to force himself to remember was more effort than it was worth. Someone has to deal more cards right? Definitely should not be him. He decided to keep his mouth shut as much as possible so he wasn't constantly flaunting his ignorance.

Z: Zaaria noticed the sheepish look and the blushing on Ash's face from Jakob's wager and couldn't help but be curious by it, though she assumed it wouldn't be a reaction to the offer of gum -surely not- however what could have possibly caused such a reaction to the offer of an IOU she wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted as her eyes fixed on Ash as she listened to him as he spoke watching him as he placed some poker chips forward, she followed suit and placed some chips forward also.

Her gaze shifted back to Jakob as she heard him begin to speak, her eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise at his compliment having not expected it, she leaned back in her seat a little as her lips curled into a flirty smile accompanied by a bright pair of bedroom eyes with a quick flash of her lashes before she swiftly shifted her gaze back to her own cards very much keeping her head in the game at hand. Her eyes only shifted back to Jakob as he requested a reminder of how to play the game, a soft smile upon her lips as she opted to give him a brief overview of how the game is played.

A: Asher was thankful of Zaaria’s refreshment of the rules. He had a vague idea of how to play the game, but at least now he didn’t have to wing it quite so much. It wasn’t his turn yet again, but he already knew he’d probably have to fold his clutch of low mixed cards.
“Shoulda opted for snap.”
He snorted and casually rested his hand on the smooth wooden table. Subtly and silently he tapped a rhythm as if there were invisible keys. As fond as he was of the cuddly redhead next to him, his own bet was on Zaaria winning, considering her apparent confidence and knowledge of the rules. He figured he might as well get a head start on that song.
J: Despite the detailed refresher of the rules by Zaaria, Jakob found himself a little lost...pretty much straight away. He tried his best to appear like he had any idea what was going on. However, his attention span when confused was shorter than normal, and that was saying something. There were a few times where he was brought out of a daydream when he realised he was being stared at expectantly.

The tiny amount of chips he had was probably making his difficulty obvious, but he had gotten lucky a few times, and that made up for it. No one will ever know…

Z: Zaaria's gaze shifted to Asher as she heard him speak, she couldn't help but giggle at his comment. She noticed his subtle finger tapping but didn't allow her eyes to linger long before fixing her gaze back to the game at hand.

She had quickly realised from their body language and somewhat vacant expressions that her opponents in this game were perhaps a little lost or unsure of how to play, knowing that gave her the confidence to relax her playing style as well as her posture as some tension in her shoulders eased up slightly. However, she still made sure to keep her cards well hidden.

She adjusted herself slightly trying to get a little more comfortable in her seat and in doing so her foot bumped into something under the table, her eyes glanced up at the gentlemen across from her hoping that it had been the table leg she'd bumped and not one of Jakob’s legs having already noted the fact that Asher’s legs were up.

A: The Australian sighed, and lightly tossed down his cards in defeat. They had sucked with every hand he played, and it was about time he gave up trying to change that. He had his eyes on Zaaria for most of the game, admiring how fluently she played, charmed like a snake by her movements and eyes alike. Perhaps she had magically sucked the luck straight from him, he thought.
“I think I’ll fold, before these cards embarrass me again” he explained with a laugh.
He then turned to Jakob, unaware of the under-table activities between him and Zaaria. He pecked a firm kiss against his bicep to try and grapple the ginger daydreamer back down to earth and spoke softly,
“Your turn, handsome. Got an ace up your sleeve?”

J: Jakob chewed on the inside of his lip as he looked down at his cards. Nothing particularly strong, he didn't think…. So he should probably fold, right? But maybe everyone else had worse match ups. He was supposed to guess if that was the case right…

He was distracted from any further pondering by a leg bumping his own. A sharp jolt went up his spine and he did his best to keep his reaction internal. He looked at Zaaria with a slight quirk of his brow, wondering if that was on purpose. It didn't take long for the action to resurface memories of the last time that happened to him, and what followed after. He looked away quickly with hot cheeks and bit down on his tongue.

Don't you dare, brain, behave yourself. Count to ten. Don't get distracted. Was this some kind of poker distraction tactic?

He pointedly stared back down at his cards, determined to pay attention. Ash’s gentle touch and soft words brought him back into the moment.

Huh? Aces? “Don’t have any of those…” He commented absentmindedly, then processed the conversation further. “Wait, what?” He looked at the other man, realising his mistake. A few moments later he noticed he’d dropped his hand and left his cards in full view.

He threw them down on the table. “...I fold.”
[more story to come!!]

Asher belongs to Dozymare
Jakob belongs to Rendou-Animated
Zaaria belongs to Me